Steam-engine.



No. 650,863. Patented lune 5, 1900. u. w. mvza.

STEAM ENGINE. v (Application filed Sept. 23, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheat I.

(No Model.)

a M N w Jam, w,-

UN' TEP HENRY w. NIVER, or sr. ouis, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR or oNE-IiALi /ro.

STATEs.

WILLIAM G. MORGAN ANDDANIEL L. SULLIVAN, or SAME PLAOEH S EAM-ENGINE.

' seeczfircn'rion amm part or Lettersliatent it). 650,863, dated. June Application tiled September 23,1999. seen No. 731,439. (No model.)

To aZZ whom; it may concern..-

Be it known that I, HENRY W. NIVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in steam-engines and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, more fully set forth in the specification and point ed out in'the claims;

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the engine with the race-bar at the end of its stroke in one direction. Fig. 2 is an end view of the engine. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the exhaust-valve-actuating mechanism, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a side elevationof the engine, the parts corresponding in position to those shown in Fig. l, a part of thebed plate being brokenaway. Fig. 5is a side elevation of the operative portions, showing the race-bar approximately at the end of its right-hand stroke. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional detail of the'oscillatin g steamvalve on line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a middle longitudinal sectional detail of the steamvalve on line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail on line 8 8 of Fig; 4, showing the mechanism corresponding to that shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 9 is a perspective View of one of the tripping-dogs.

The object of my invention is to construct an engine which will entirely dispense with the prevailing valve or steam chest, slidevalve operating therein,and eccentric controlling such valve, the piston in the presentinstance being impelled or reciprocated by the admission of the motor fluid controlled by valves actuated by mechanical devices directly connected to or carried by the pistonrod. The result is a very compact form of engine, the number of parts being reduced to a minimum, and hence the cost of manufacture of the same is materially reduced below that of the prevailing forms which are provided with the parts herein specifically mentioned as being omitted.

ordinary piston 3 within the cylinder. The outer projecting end of the piston-rodcarries a yoke or angular bar 3', to the upper end of which is secured a race-bar 4, which actuates Ithe' steam-valves, as will presently appear,

the lowerendof the yoke having rigidlyse cured thereto parallel to the race-bar a thrust In detail the invention may be described rod 5, which, as presently to be seen, controls the exhaust-valves. Both the race-bar and thrust-rod are disposed parallel to the axis of the cylinder, the one above and theother below the cylinder, as clearly apparent from the drawings. Immediately beyond the yoke 3' is the cross-head 6, to which the connecting rod leading from the crank-arm of the driveshaft is connected; but as these features are old and well understood and form no part of the present improvement they are omitted from the drawings. In its reciprocations the race-bar is guided along a longitudinal track or guideway 7 on top of the cylinder, this arrangement insuring perfect rigidity for said bar. Pivotally mounted on top of the race-bar, with their rear edges adjacent or contiguous to one another, are the wedge-shaped trippingdogs 8, each provided at its hinged end with ears 9,by which the same are pivoted to lugs 10, carried by the race-bar. The free or forward edge of each dog rests against the upper surface of the race-bar, said edge constituting the lower edge of the inclined back of the wedge of which each dog is composed. Each dog is .so hinged or suspended that the upper face of the wedge is substantially horizontalthat is to say, it lies in aplane perpendicular to the altitudes of the triangles constituting the ends of the wedge, (assuming, of course, that the upper side of the triangle is the base thereof.)

constituting the surface along which for one stroke of the race-bar the inner roller ends ll of the valve-actuatinglevers 12 travel, the

rollers 11 passing under the dog for the stroke in the opposite direction. Each roller 11 travels at the base of a marginal groove or depression 13, formed along the race-bar, the base of such depression gradually rising or inclining upward at 13 t0 the outer surface of the race-bar. The free end of each dog is normally held down to the surface of the racebar at a point contiguous to the rising portion 13 by the free end of a spring 14, riveted at its opposite end to the race -bar. The lengths of the depressions 13 depend, of course, on the stroke of the piston and are disposed in such away as to allow the rollers 11 to freely travel over the same during the reciprocation of the piston. The roller end of each lever is held down against the race-bar by a spring arm or plate 15, secured at one end in any mechanical manner on top of a knob or lug 16, carried by the cylinder-wall. To the free outer end of each lever 12 is pivotally secured the upper end of a link 16, whose opposite end is pivotally connected to the free end of an arm 17, secured to the outer projecting end of the rock-shat t or spindle 18 of a perforated disk-valve 18, mounted adjacent to the end wall of the cylinder at the base of the live steam pocket 19, the valve 18 cooperating with a perforated seat 20, the openings of which aline with the openings of the valve for the open position of the latter, permitting the entrance of live steam from the steam-pipe 21 through said alining openings into the cylinder and driving the piston before it.

The thrust-rod is provided with two nuts or tappets 22, which with the reciprocations of the piston alternately strike the free end of a lever 23, pivoted to the base-plate below the cylinder, the medial portion of the lever being slotted and receiving alug or knob 24, carried by the reciprocating valve-rod 25, to whose opposite ends are secured the exhaust slide-valves 26, mounted within the lower exhaust-steam pockets 27. As each tappet 22 strikes the lever 23,as indicated,the latter will alternately close one valve 26 and open the opposite one, the open one of course being always on the side of the exhaust.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 4, the piston, race-bar, and thrust-rod are shown at the end of their left-handstrokc, and they are now ready to make a stroke to the right. Inasmuch as the race-bar must have traveled to the left to have reached the position shown in said figure, it necessarily follows that the roller end of the left-hand lever 1 2that is,the

one adjacentjo the upper end of the sheetmust have traversed the full length of the adjacent depression 13 of the race-bar from left to right, passing under the dog on that side, raising its free end against the resiliency of the spring 14, traveling up the incline 13, and finally emerging on top of the I race-bar just beyond the dog, as shown. At the same time-that is,during the left-hand re eiprocation of the pistonthe thrust-rod,with its tappets,had thrown the left-hand exhaustvalve 26 to a closed position. As shown in Figs. 1 and 1, the piston and parts carried by it are ready to reciprocate to the right. As the momentum of the drive-shaft and flywheel (not shown) connected to the crosshead carries the piston from the state of rest at the end of its left-hand stroke to the right the roller end of the left-hand lever 12 referred to will travel up along, the inclined back of the dog, (now snapped back into position by the spring 14,) tripping the inner end of said lever 12 upwardly an amount equal to the altitude of the triangular end of the dog or wedge, and correspondingly depressing the outer end of the left-hand lever, which in turn' by means of the link connection 16' and arm 17 rocks the valve 18 to an open position. The latter remains open so long as the roller end of the lever 12 travels along the upper horizontal face of the dog. Of course the opening of the left-hand steam-valve means the positive driving of the piston to the right. As the piston now travels to the right the roller end of the left-hand lever 12 will traverse the upper surface of the adjacent dog from right to left, when it drops off from said surface back into the depression 13, being forced thereinto under the action of the spring 15. The moment the roller end of the left-hand lever 12 drops back into the depression 13 the steam valve closes, (since new the lever has been tripped back to its closed position,) the piston being impelled for the balance of its right-hand stroke by the expansion of the steam now cut off. As the piston is reaching the end of its righthand stroke the outer tappet, carried by the thrust-rod, closes the right-hand exhaustvalve and opens the left, and the roller end tion, to which the momentum of the engine will bringit, and in a similar manner trip the right-hand lever 12 to now open the righthand steam-valve and drive the piston and parts carried thereby to the left and to the place of beginning. Thus a complete double stroke of the several parts has been traced. It may be stated that so long as the roller ends of the levers l2 traverse the bases of the depressions 13 the steam valves remain closed, the openings of the valves and their seats being out of alinement; but the moment the roller end begins to climb up the incline 13 lead steam is admitted into the cylinder, the gradual incline 13 tripping the lever 12 just snfliciently to open the steamvalve for that purpose. Of course when the roller end has been tripped the full altitude of the triangle of the wedge, which is the case when it has traversed the inclined back of the wedge or dog,the steam-valve will be fully open. The period of actual expansion for the steam will of course depend on the lengths of the dogs, as is obvious, for While the roller end of the lever 12 is traversing the upper face of the dog so long will the steam port or valve remain open. In case it is desired to vary the expansion (or cut-01f) I may substitute different lengths of dogs for the same engine, according to circumstances. It is obvious, of course, that the engine can run in either direction. So is it obvious that it may be altered in minor details without departing from the spirit of my invention. vious that any motor fluid can be substituted for steam in the driving of the engine.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an engine, a cylinder, a piston and piston-rod therefor, a race-bar and thrust-rod connected to said piston-rod and disposed exteriorly to the peripheral walls of the cylinder, valves for admitting steam to the cylinder, exhaust-valves, the motor fluid or steam valves being adapted to be actuated by the race -bar, and the exhaust-valves by the thrust-rod, with each reciprocation of the piston, and means for guiding the race-bar in its reciprocations, substantially as set forth.

2. In an engine, a cylinder, a piston and piston-rod therefor, a race-bar carried by the piston-rod and guided along the peripheral walls of the cylinder, a lever adapted to be tripped by the race-bar during the reciprocations of the latter, a steam-valve and intermediate connections between said steamvalve and lever for actuating the former upon the successive oscillations of the lever, substantially as set forth.

3. In an engine, a stationary cylinder, a piston and piston-rod therefor, steam and exhaust valves for said cylinder, a race-bar and thrust-rod secured to the pistonrod, tripping-dogs pivotally secured to the race-bar, valve-actuating levers pivoted in proximity to the cylinder and adapted to be tripped by the dogs during the reciprocations of the race-bar, intermediate connections between the thrust-rod and exhaust-valves for actuating the latter, and suitable connections between the valve-actuating levers and steamvalves, the parts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an engine, a tripping-dog comprising It is further ob a substantially wedge-shaped block having an inclined back, and an upper face perpendicular to the altitude of the triangular end of the wedge, and means for pivoting the dog at a point adjacent the edge of the wedge or the meeting-line of its faces, substantially as set forth.

5. In an engine, a stationary cylinder, a piston and a piston-rod therefor, a race-bar connected to said piston-rod, marginal depressions formed along the opposite longitudinal edges of the race-bar, the bases of said depressions rising at their ends to meet the outer surface of the race-bar, valve-actuating levers adapted to have one end travel along said depressions, valves connected to said levers, the latter retaining the valves in a closed position while traversing the bases of the depressions, but admitting lead steam to the cylinder while traversing the raised ends of the said depressions, substantially as set forth.

6. An engine comprising a cylinder, a piston, a piston-rod therefor, a yoke carried by the piston rod, a race-bar secured to one end of the yoke and adapted to traverse the pe riphery of the cylinder, a thrust-rod secured to the opposite end of the yoke and disposed parallel to the race-bar, wedgeshaped tripping-dogs pivoted with their edges adjacent to one another on top of the race-bar, a marginal depression having inclined terminals formed on the race-bar, springs for holding 1 down the free ends of the dogs or the backs of the wedges at a point adjacent to or directly above the depressions, valve-actuating levers pivoted in proximity to the cylinder, rollers at the inner ends of the levers, springs for holding the rollers in contact with the depressions on the race-bar, oscillating steamvalves, link connections between the valves and the outer or adjacent ends of the levers, exhaust-valves, a valve-rod connecting the same, a lever pivoted to the bed-plate and operatively connected to the valverod, and tappets on the thrust-rod adapted to strike the said lever, the parts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY W. NIVER.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, GEORGE L. BELFRY. 

